Orlando Bloom Comes Out Swinging For Johnny Depp

Between the thoroughly documented domestic abuse allegations by ex-wife Amber Heard, financial woes, and legal battles, Johnny Depp has been having what you might call a rough year, albeit a self-inflicted rough year. Most recently, Depp's former managers filed a countersuit against the star — after he sued them for $25 million — alleging Depp squanders $2 million a month on things like wine, yachts, wait staffs, and art. But the actor still has a loyal defender in friend and co-star Orlando Bloom, who stuck up for Depp at the Los Angeles premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on Thursday.

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"Listen, the man that I know and love is the man who's here tonight, and he's, like, on form, and does everything the right way," Bloom told People on the red carpet. "You know, people go through all kinds of weird stuff in the world, and it's just a shame that it has to be dragged out into public. Because God knows he's been one of the most private and standup people I've ever met."

Well, "weird stuff" is one way to put it.

Hollywood heavyweight and Pirates franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer was also quick to come to Depp's defense. "Oh, he's the best. And, you know, unfortunately, the media kind of picks on certain people, and it was his turn in the barrel," Bruckheimer told People of Depp. "But he's a fabulous guy, a great artist, and he's here, and he's excited to be here for the premiere."

It's interesting to hear Bloom and Bruckheimer raving about Depp following the shocking reports of his poor on-set behavior in a bombshell Hollywood Reporter piece published earlier this month. A source told THR that a staffer had to sit outside of the chronically late actor's rental on the Australian set of the fifth Pirates movie so that he could alert the crew to start prepping the moment Depp finally woke up. "Everyone was an innocent bystander watching this train wreck," the source said. Is that really the man Bloom knows and loves?